It’s very frustrating and sad to watch your dog constantly scratching and licking. Sometimes these actions result in “hot spots” – raw or red areas on their coat. Sometimes it can result in hair loss. This can leave you feeling stressed and guilty particularly since you don’t know what’s causing it and what to do about it.
Here are some potential causes of those skin allergies:
Atopic Allergies
This refers to something being inhaled. Dogs can also be allergic to the molds, pollens, dander, essential oils and dust mites that we are all exposed to on a daily basis.
Contact Allergies
Your dog can come in contact with things that can cause an allergic reaction resulting in itchy, dry skin. Dogs, like humans, can be allergic to latex such is found in some animal toys. Another type of contact allergy can be caused by grass, topical flea control products and other topical solutions applied to the skin such as vinegar, rubbing alcohol, essential oils, garlic, or boric acid.
Food Allergies
Some food and “vitamin” sources can also cause an allergic reaction in dogs. One of the most common food allergens for dogs has turned out to be corn, a main component of many commercial dog foods. However, a reaction may also be caused by one or more of the other ingredients and chemicals used as preservatives. Other ingested potential allergens are garlic and brewer’s yeast.
Parasitic Allergies
Your dog can develop an allergy to flea saliva. It can only take one flea bite to cause a reaction. The itching becomes extremely intense, and once the scratching breaks the skin, your pet becomes eligible for a host of secondary skin infections.
Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is the most common dog allergy. This is generally caused by fleas biting your poor furry friend. The truth is, even if you don’t see fleas on your dog, he can have flea allergy dermatitis. FAD is the leading cause of allergic reactions in dogs.
FAD is the most common reason your dog is scratching and licking. You’ve eliminated food allergies or an allergic reaction to meds or essential oils on their skin or in their environment. So, what’s left – fleas! Your dog can be having an allergic reaction to adult fleas biting your dog to obtain blood to reproduce. The flea injects antigens or proteins from their saliva into your dog’s skin. When a dog has an allergic reaction to these antigens its because his immune system is overreacting or is hypersensitive to those proteins.
Due to this allergy to the flea antigens, a single bit can cause itching for days! Your dog does not need to be infested with fleas to have an allergic reaction. But if your dog is already allergic to dust, molds, or pollens, a single flea bite can send him into a scratching frenzy.
In extreme cases of FAD, it can lead to not just scratching but hair loss and the development of hot spots on his skin. When this occurs, it is important to get your pet tested for specific allergies. Your vet may prescribe steroids, such as corticosteroids, or desensitization treatment by administering allergy injections. Your vet and discuss the pros and cons of the various treatments during an examination.
Source: Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Dogs by Tammy Hunter, DVM; Ernest Ward, DVM
Comments